1. Verbs!

2. What is a verb? It is a word that shows action or state of being
Action: run, swim, jump, taste, fall, dream
State of Being: be, appear, seem, feel
Can you write a real sentence without verbs?
NO!
[There are no way we without verbs. Nothing. Without any action words, our sentences…dead. No communication. Action…being…without them, well, nothing.]

3. Verb Tenses Verb tenses let us know what the action happens.
Main tenses: present, past, and future
Present: I ace tests sometimes, but not often enough.
Past: I aced the test yesterday.
Future: I know I will ace the test tomorrow.

4. The Six Tenses
Present Tense: Expresses action which is happening now or which happens continually
I eat pizza often.
Daisy chooses this spot for the beach party.

5. The Six Tenses: Past
Past Tense: Expresses action which is completed at a particular time in the past.
I ate pizza last night.
Daisy chose this spot for the beach party.

6. The Six Tenses: Future
Future Tense: Expresses action that will take place
I will eat pizza later today.
Daisy will choose this spot.

7. The Six Tenses: Present Perfect
Present Perfect Tense: Expresses action that took place in the past and may still be going on
I have eaten pizza many times.
Daisy has chosen this spot.

8. The Six Tenses: Past Perfect
Past Perfect Tense: Expresses action which began in the past and was completed in the past
I had eaten pizza just before you arrived.
Daisy had chosen this spot for the beach party.

9. The Six Tenses: Future Perfect
Future Perfect Tense: Expresses action or existence which will begin and will be completed by a specific time in the future
I will have eaten pizza at least a million times by the year 2010.
Daisy will have chosen the spot by tomorrow.

10. Progressive Forms Present progressive: I am eating pizza.
There are also progressive forms of the tenses, which means that the action continues for a while:
Present progressive: I am eating pizza.
Past progressive: I was eating pizza when you called.
Future progressive: I will be eating pizza at 8:30 tonight.
Present perfect progressive: I have been eating pizza all day.
Past perfect progressive: I had been eating pizza for three house when Mom said my eyeballs looked like pepperonis.
Future perfect progressive: I will have been eating pizza for five hours nonstop when bedtime rolls around.

11. Be consistent!
Weak: I arrived home late and Mom fusses at me for not calling to let her know where I will be.
I arrived home = past tense
Mom fusses = present tense
where I will be = future tense
Better: I arrived home late and Mom fussed at me for not calling to let her know where I had been.
Mom fussed = past tense
where I had been = past perfect tense